The Kilbourne Collection of CSA Stamps and Postal History continued...

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE USE OF THE 5-CENT BLUE LITHOGRAPH FROM SAVANNAH TO CHARLESTON, CARRIED OUT ON A SHIP THAT WAS CAPTURED BY A UNION BLOCKADE VESSEL -- THE COVER WAS ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE AT THE PHILADELPHIA PRIZE COURT.

This cover, which was formerly in the Brown, Shenfield and Kohn collections, was purchased by the Kilbournes from David Kohn in 1967. All prior owners (and Charles Kilbourne) believed the 2c due handstamp was struck as a ship-letter fee, but we feel it is just as likely that this was sent in the regular mail and the 2c due was for advertising. In any event, the prior owners celebrated it simply as a choice incoming ship cover. The Prize Court case notation, which was not widely understood in the 1960's (if it was understood by anyone), is the most noteworthy aspect of this cover, but was not recognized by any of the prior owners, nor mentioned in The Philatelic Foundation's booklet which illustrates the cover on page 3. Whatever the sequence that caused it to become a Prize Court cover, it must have made it into Charleston, as the "2" handstamp is a known Charleston marking. We surmise that it was subsequently carried out of Charleston on a ship which was captured by a Union blockading vessel. We are grateful to Trish Kaufmann for her assistance in this interpretation (a copy of her Prize Court article in American Philatelist, Apr. 2018 accompanies).

Ex Brown, Shenfield and Kohn (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com